Babysitting the Bats
by velvie
Summary: After Bruce Wayne suddenly disappears, Dick must take up the cowl and assume the responsibilities of Batman. But he must also take on Bruce Wayne's responsibilities and look after the family. He calls in the team for help, and leaves them with the challenge of babysitting the bats. (Rated T for possible later chapters).
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or any other characters used.**

_Recognised: Batman 02_

Batman strode into the team's new base and threw himself down on the couch. He reached up and yanked the cowl away from his face. Dick was exhausted; being Batman was a hard job.

"Hi Dick!" Zatanna called out to him. Everyone knew his identity nowadays, but he found it relieved some of the stress having one less secret to keep. Although he was no longer on the team, he still visited the base regularly and was welcomed there by the others.

"Hey Zee" Dick replied, yawning. He gave his tired eyes a quick rub before standing to greet Zatanna. The two engaged in a brief hug before sitting back down.

"What brings you here, Batman?" Zatanna asked, smiling. She loved addressing him as Batman, even when he was just Dick Grayson. It was a little joke the two shared.

"I just need somewhere to relax for a while" he replied, shrugging.

"Why don't you relax in your own home?" Dick turned to her and tried to come up with a good answer. Just as he was about to speak, his comm link beeped in his ear.

"Batman, it's Flash" Wally said down the link.

"What is it, Flash?" He replied in a more serious tone.

"I need some back up in Central, we've got some trouble from Captain Cold"

"I'm on my way" Dick switched off the link and groaned as he stood up, stretching and pulling the cowl back on.

"Where are you going?" Zatanna asked.

"Central City. Flash needs me." Batman turned to leave when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm coming too, and no isn't an answer." Dick rolled his eyes but smiled as he and Zatanna headed for the zeta beams to get to Central City.

"Where's Cold?" Batman asked, running up to Flash.

"He's long gone. After I called for your back up he messed up and I took him down. Sorry, but thanks for coming out." Wally said, hoping his friends would forgive him for making them come out so late.

"That's fine, good job on defeating Captain Cold." Dick said as he put a congratulatory hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Hey Zee, how's it going?" Wally turned to Zatanna and smiled to his friend and fellow league member.

"Hey Wally. Good job catching Cold." She replied, then giggled as she realised what she'd said. Wally and Dick looked at each other and laughed along with her. The three of them could relax, as nobody was around this late at night to see them goofing around.

"You guys wanna come back to my place? I know it's late, so maybe you could crash there for the night." Wally suggested, realising what time it was.

"I'd love to bro, but I can't." Dick sighed. Zatanna and Wally frowned in confusion.

"Dude why n-" Wally started, but he suddenly remembered why his best friend couldn't hang with him as much as before.

"Well? Why not?" Zatanna asked, still confused.

"Since Batman disappeared, I've had to do more than just take up the cowl. He had other responsibilities." Dick sighed.

"Like what?" She prompted.

"Like look after the other Bats." Dick told her. Zatanna thought about what this could mean, when it dawned on her. Jason and Tim.

"But Jason and Tim are old enough to look after themselves for one night, right?" she asked.

"It's not just Jay and Tim" Wally spoke up. Zatanna's eyes widened at the thought of their being more Bats.

"Why don't you two come over to mine tonight? Then tomorrow I can introduce you to the family, Zee." Dick suggested. Wally and Zatanna nodded and the three headed for a zeta beam port to take them to Gotham. This would be Zatanna's first time visiting Dick's home, and she was quite nervous.

"Would Bruce be ok with this?" Wally whispered to Dick.

"It's my house, and while he's gone, I make the rules." He replied firmly.

"And Alfred?" Wally countered.

"He's away right now, but the difference is, I know where he is. Besides, he believes it's my secret and I should share as much or as little as I feel right." Dick said, smiling at how accepting Alfred really was. The remainder of the short journey was silent, until they arrived at the Batcave.

"Wow" Zatanna looked around in awe at the cave and its vast array of weapons and equipment.

"Just wait until you see the house" Wally muttered. The trio proceeded to head up the stairs to the manor, and the boys heard Zatanna's sharp intake of breath when she was struck by the magnificent sitting room.

"Ok guys, we're gonna have to be really quiet – I'll show you around tomorrow, Zee" Dick whispered. Wally took himself upstairs to the guest bedroom where he was used to staying now. Dick showed Zatanna to another guest bedroom and made sure she was settled before he went and crashed down in his own room. He was asleep within a few minutes and hadn't even changed into his pyjamas.

"Grayson!" There was an angry voice and loud banging coming from the other side of Dick's door. He ran a hand over his hair and face before getting up and walking slowly over to the door. He pulled it open and was greeted by the youngest Bat, Damian.

"What do you want, Dami?" he asked, ruffling the boy's hair.

"West is here with a girl." He replied curtly. Damian rarely used first names. Dick remembered that he'd invited them to stay.

"Where are they? I'll be down in a moment. Just… stay out of trouble." Dick sighed, swinging the door closed so he could get dressed. He pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt and splashed some water on his face before heading downstairs to greet his friends.

"Morning, sleepyhead" Zatanna said, smirking. She was sat with Wally and Tim on the sofa, eating cereal.

"Morning. Sorry, I overslept." He replied, still half asleep.

"Dude it's only 8:30. That's not oversleeping." Wally spoke with a mouth full of cereal. Dick shook his head to dismiss the comment and turned to Zatanna.

"So Zee, you know Tim, and you know Jason. It's time you met the rest of the Bat family and at the same time, you can see the manor." Dick extended a hand to Zatanna, who took it and got up off the sofa. He led her through a maze of rooms, explaining as he went what each room was. The first person they spotted was Damian.

"Grayson, who's this?" Damian asked, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"This, Damian, is Zatanna Zatara. I'm sure she'd appreciate it if you addressed her by her first name." Dick replied, ruffling the boy's hair for the second time that day.

"Nice try, Grayson. Hello Zatara. Can you leave me alone now?" Damian muttered. Dick shot an apologetic look at Zatanna before gesturing that they should leave. They back tracked to the main sitting room where Tim and Wally had been joined by Stephanie.

"Zee, this is Stephanie. Steph, this is Zatanna." Dick introduced the two girls to each other. Stephanie waved shyly and Zatanna took a seat on the couch beside her. Dick was about to join the others on the couch when he heard his name being yelled.

"Grayson! Todd is annoying me! Get him away at once!" Damian yelled at the top of his voice. Dick sighed and apologised before dashing off to find his brothers.

"So Zee, you liking the place?" Wally asked.

"It's amazing. I had no idea Dick lived in such a nice place, or had such a big family." Zatanna replied.

"Bigger definitely isn't better." Stephanie muttered under her breath. When Cassandra was away, she was the only girl in the house. She didn't mind Tim or Dick, but she was much less fond of Jason and Damian. Zatanna got lost in thoughts about what life would be like in a big family. Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of Dick's voice.

"I'm sorry guys, I'm not feeling too great so I'm gonna head back to bed for five minutes. Wally, you're in charge. Sorry Zee." Dick said, his voice rough and tired. He turned and dragged himself up the staircase to his bedroom. Wally and Zatanna shared a look of concern for their friend.

"I should probably go check on him. Tim, you and Zee can run the house for 5 minutes, right?" Wally asked. Tim and Zatanna nodded and Wally raced up the stairs after his best friend. He knocked gently on Dick's door before pushing it open to find Dick lying on his stomach with his face in the pillow.

"What do you want, Wally?" Dick mumbled, not taking his face out of the pillow.

"Me and Zee are worried about you bro. You're way off your usual self. What's up, dude?" Wally asked, carefully sitting on the edge of the bed. Dick pushed himself into a sitting position and sighed deeply.

"I guess I'm still getting used to the whole Batman thing." He shrugged. Wally shook his head.

"No Dick, I know you're used to the whole Batman thing. It's the whole Bruce Wayne thing you're getting used to. Am I right?"

"Yeah… you're right." Dick admitted. He hung his head and twiddled his thumbs, feeling slightly ashamed that his best friend had found out that he couldn't deal with this.

"You know I'm always ready to help out, right? I'm sure the others are, too. You just need to ask. It's ok to ask for help. Even Batman had a partner." Wally said gently, smiling. Dick looked up and smiled back.

"You're right. So, how do you think the others would feel about babysitting?"

**A/N: Thanks for reading the first chapter! I'd really appreciate if you'd leave reviews and ideas for more chapters. Tell me what you'd like to see! Review! ~ velvie**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get this up. In truth, it's been written for a while, I just wasn't happy with it to start with. I hope you like this one. ~velvie**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"I don't need a babysitter!" Jason yelled as the doorbell rang.

"I get it, you're 15. But you're not a responsible 15. Anyway, you've met Zee and Artemis. You'll be fine, as long as you don't cause any trouble." Dick told his brother as he moved towards the door. He pulled it open and gestured for the two girls to come in.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Artemis said. "I can't look after children."

"You don't have to. They'll mostly look after themselves. Just don't let them hurt themselves, each other, or you. If one of you could make them dinner or supervise Steph while she does it that'd be great. Their bed times are written down on the whiteboard in the kitchen along with anything else you'll need to know. Which isn't much. Have fun!" Dick informed his friends before dashing off to the batcave to get ready for patrol.

"Guess we're on our own" Artemis muttered as she followed Zatanna into the sitting room. The couch was occupied by Damian and Jason, each sulking about having a baby sitter but neither would sit near each other. Zatanna and Artemis sat in the middle between them and flicked through the channels on the TV.

"Zatara, I'm hungry." Damian said simply. He turned to face Zatanna and folded his arms, waiting for her to do something.

"Oh look, he knows your name." Artemis said, smirking at the use of Zatanna's last name.

"Who are you?" Damian snapped at Artemis. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the rude boy. Zatanna could see the situation was about to get out of hand so she spoke up.

"Damian, this is Artemis. Be nice. Now, could you come and help me make dinner?" She said softly.

"What's her last name?" He asked.

"Crock." Artemis said.

"Ok, Crock." Damian said smugly. He turned back to Zatanna "I don't make dinner, Zatara. That's Brown's job."

"Brown?" Zatanna asked, not knowing everyone's last names yet.

"Stephanie!" Jason yelled, loud enough for everyone in and out of the room to hear. Footsteps were heard running down the stairs, and Stephanie appeared in the doorway of the sitting room.

"Yes Jason?" She muttered. The two glared at each other without saying a word.

"Go cook." Damian commanded her rudely. She stalked past everyone to get to the kitchen, stopping briefly to shove her hand into Damian's face. Arty and Zee shared a confused look before Zee followed her into the kitchen to make dinner. While Stephanie sorted out ingredients and plates, Zee stopped to look at the whiteboard.

_Jason Todd, 15, 10pm – Often fights with Damian, can be aggressive, may resist orders_

_Tim Drake, 12, 9:30pm – Quiet, can be difficult to engage, takes medication before bed (can be found in his bathroom cabinet)_

_Stephanie Brown, 12, 9:30pm – Quiet, can be difficult to engage, dislikes Jason and Damian_

_Damian Wayne, 8, 8:45pm – Often fights with Jason, can be aggressive/violent, resists orders, calls everyone by their last name, afraid of the dark but won't admit it_

_Hopefully they won't be too much trouble. Thank you!_

'Well, Dick wasn't kidding when he said everything we needed to know would be on here' Zee thought. She jumped when she felt something tapping her shoulder. Stephanie was behind her, waiting impatiently for Zee to assist her in making dinner.

"Damian, it's bed time!" Artemis growled through clenched teeth. She'd been prepared for some trouble with him, but she didn't think the boy would go to such lengths to avoid bed time.

"You can't make me, Crock!" He yelled from the chandelier. The boy smirked as he swung above the older girl's head.

"Zatanna, is it ok to use magic on this kid? I'm sure it's safer than arrows!" Artemis yelled to her friend helplessly. Zee appeared in the doorway to the front room and nodded to Artemis, who got ready to catch the boy if he fell.

"peels ot mih dnes!" Zee chanted. Damian's eyes immediately shut and instantly the young boy was asleep. His limp body fell from the chandelier and landed directly on Artemis.

"Ooft!" Artemis yelped as the body hit her. She pushed the sleeping Damian off of her and stood up, bending over to pick him up again. "I'll take him to bed. I hope this sleep spell wears off before the morning or we could be in trouble." Artemis mumbled as she turned and headed up the stairs. On the way up she couldn't help but smile at how cute Damian was when he slept. She gently kicked open the door to Damian's room, and set him down on the bed, tucking him in and turning out the light. She closed the door again and raced down the stairs to join her friend.

"Is he ok?" Zatanna asked as Artemis sat down on the couch beside her.

"Yeah, fast asleep, tucked in and lights out." Artemis reported back.

"Lights out? But he's-" Zee's sentence was cut off by a sharp scream from upstairs. She leapt off the couch and charged up the stairs to calm the little boy. Artemis didn't quite understand what was going on.

"Baby Wayne is afraid of the dark" Jason sneered. Artemis narrowed her eyes with disapproval at the older boy's rudeness towards his younger brother. He snatched the remote up from the sofa and flicked through the channels at a speed that made it obvious he wasn't even looking at what was on. Crying and singing could be heard from upstairs. Several minutes passed before Zatanna finally came back downstairs.

"Nice singing." Artemis said, trying not to hide the compliment behind her usual sarcastic tone.

"Thanks. It wasn't great, but it obviously worked." Zatanna replied, pushing her hair back with her hand as she sat down. "Hey, what time is it?"

"9:47" Jason muttered, still flicking absent minded through the channels.

"Oh no! It's Steph and Tim's bed time now. Now I've got to get up and find them." Zee sighed as she started to push herself back up off the couch.

"No need." Jason said, holding out a hand to stop her. "Tweirdoes!" Zee didn't understand what Jason had just yelled, or why she didn't have to move.

"Well?" Artemis prompted. She raised an eyebrow when Jason groaned.

"Stephanie! Tim!" He yelled. The two children appeared in the doorway. Steph strode over to Jason and flicked him forcefully on the nose. "Ow!" he proclaimed.

"Don't call us tweirdoes again!" she growled to him.

"Bed time you two. Jason, you could start getting ready too." Zee said, throwing a quick glance over to Jason.

"You can't tell me what to do." He mumbled as he stood up and threw the remote on to the couch. Tim and Stephanie silently headed upstairs after Jason, leaving Zee and Artemis to relax until they headed to bed themselves in the guest rooms.

"Thank you Artemis, thanks Zee." Dick said to the girls the next morning. They sat around the dining room table with mugs of coffee and bowls of cereal.

"Busy night?" Zee asked Dick.

"Crazy. Why can't villains just take a night off?" he shook his head then took a sip of his coffee. " How was it here?"

"Not so bad. They're just like normal kids. I don't mind babysitting again sometime." Artemis replied. Dick's face scrunched in surprise at what Artemis had suggested. Normal kids?

"Are you sure? They didn't try to assassinate each other or burn the house down or anything? They are by no definition normal. Not even Steph and Tim are quite right." Dick said. The girls nodded.

"They were reasonably quiet, barely fought, with the exception of Damian they all went to bed when told. Normal kids." Zee said, smiling.

"Let's hope they keep that up." Dick replied, smiling back. He knew something would go wrong eventually. They were bats.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to try to update this one more often, so please make it worth doing and review! If you have any ideas for this, feel free to tell me. ~velvie**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while - been a little busy. I hope you like this next chapter. ~velvie**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"West" Damian spat as he opened the door to Wally and Kaldur. The ginger speedster smirked and ruffled the young boy's hair.

"Hey Dami. How's it going?"

"Don't call me that you-" Damian began angrily. He was cut off when Dick yanked him back away from the door.

"Hey guys. Sorry about him, he's in a bad mood because I took his candy." Dick apologised as he lead his friends to the living room.

"Why'd you take his candy?" Wally asked.

"He was trying to feed it to Titus." Dick sighed. "Thanks for doing this guys."

"It is a pleasure to help a friend." Kaldur replied, smiling warmly.

"Wally knows what he's doing, he's been over here enough times. All the instructions are on the board in the kitchen." Wally and Kaldur nodded in comprehension. "And Wally-"

"Yeah?" Wally replied.

"-Behave." Dick left for the batcave to get ready for patrol. As soon as he was gone, Damian appeared again.

"West." He whispered angrily from the doorway. He folded his arms tightly across his chest and glared at Wally.

"Hey buddy. This is Kaldur." Wally said happily, pointing his thumb toward the Atlantean. Kaldur held out a hand for Damian, but retracted it soon after Damian's glare focused on him.

"I'm watching you, West." He muttered as he walked away. Kaldur turned to his friend.

"Why does he show such hostility toward you?" he queried.

"He's a little weird. All the bats are a little weird. I don't take it personally." Wally shrugged. "Want a drink or something?" he asked, heading towards the kitchen.

"I am fine, thank you for offering." Kaldur replied as he gently sat down on the edge of the couch. Wally pushed the door through into the kitchen and headed for the fridge when he saw it; the candy. He smirked as he grabbed the bag and stuffed it into his pocket. He continued on to the fridge and got himself a soda before heading back to the living room. Kaldur had been joined by Jason.

"Hey Jay." Wally said as he fell back into the couch and made himself comfy.

"Hey Wally." Jason sighed in reply. He had the TV remote in his hand and was flicking mindlessly through the channels. Wally smirked and took a piece of candy from his pocket.

"Jay, want some candy?" he asked, offering the sweet to him.

"What have you done to it?" Jason asked cautiously.

"Nothing. It's just candy." Wally said innocently. Jason took the candy from Wally and ate it slowly, just in case Wally had tricked him.

"Thanks man." Jason said, turning back to the TV.

"Want more? I have loads." Wally offered. Jason's eyes lit up as he nodded gratefully. Wally grabbed a handful of candy from his pocket and handed it to the boy. He sat back and smirked to himself as he watched his little plan begin.

Jason slid down the stair banister wearing a red motorcycle helmet, laughing manically. Stephanie was charging down the stairs after him, fists ready to take a swing when she was close enough.

"Jason, I'm gonna kill you!" she screeched. Jason lifted the helmet up and spat on the ground beside her feet. Stephanie screamed and jumped away. Tim ran out to the top of the stairs when he heard her scream. Kaldur and Wally also raced to the scene.

"What's Jay done now?" Tim called down.

"He snuck into my room and hid dog food everywhere then let Titus in. My room is a mess!" She yelled back, taking an angry swing at her older brother. Jason jumped out of the way and cackled at his genius plan. Wally smirked a little too.

"Calm down Stephanie. Jason, why did you do that?" Kaldur spoke, stepping between the children.

"Because it's funny!" he laughed, sticking his tongue out at Stephanie and preparing to dodge another swing.

"I'm so gonna get you, you little brat!" Stephanie screamed and lunged towards Jason. The pair ran off around the house, Wally right behind them. Using his speed, he caught both and took them back to the hallway where Kaldur was. Tim had made his way down the stairs and stood glaring at his older brother. He was just about to speak when a voice came from the top of the stairs. Everyone turned and saw Damian had been woken up.

"What's going on out here?" Damian mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh Dami I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" Stephanie said quietly. She was never usually nice to him, but she knew it was her fault and that Damian was not to blame for anything. Damian nodded and she hung her head.

"I'll take care of him." Wally said, racing up the stairs and taking Damian back to his room.

"I have a feeling you've been up to no good, West." Damian muttered as he got back into bed.

"You know me so well." Wally replied, smirking.

"What have you done this time?"

"I may or may not have let Jason have a load of candy." Wally told him. Damian smiled.

"West you idiot. You knew exactly what would happen, didn't you?" Damian asked, already knowing the answer. Wally ruffled the boy's hair again.

"Of course I did. But I went through with it anyway. That's commitment."

"You're a genius, West. I still hate you, though." Damian said sleepily.

"Yeah, I know. Night, Dami." Wally said quietly as the young boy fell asleep again.

"Jason, why did you think it would be funny to do this to Stephanie?" Kaldur asked calmly.

"I didn't think it would be funny. I knew it would." He replied coolly, smiling.

"You obviously don't know much then, do you?" Tim interjected. Jason glanced over at his brother and raised an eyebrow at him.

"I know plenty. I may not be a nerd like you, but I am a genius."

"You're not a genius, not in any sense of the word. You're just a big idiot, who doesn't care about anyone or anything except himself and his own selfish needs." Tim spat back. Jason let out a low growl and threw the helmet angrily at Tim, hitting him in the chest.

"Stop it, both of you! Jason, throwing things is dangerous and you may have hurt Tim. Now I suggest you apologise and then go to bed." Kaldur commanded, remaining calm but taking control. Jason turned his glare to Kaldur.

"Well I'm glad that's just a suggestion, because I'm not apologising!" he whispered angrily. He shoved past Tim and stormed up the stairs to his room, slamming the door behind him. Kaldur turned to Tim and Stephanie.

"Are you alright, Tim?" he asked gently.

"I'll be fine." Tim muttered, kicking the helmet away.

"Then may I suggest you two also go to bed." The two nodded and made their way quietly up the stairs to their rooms. Kaldur sighed and turned to Wally, who was having trouble concealing his massive grin.

"Hey guys" Dick murmured as he returned from patrol. He'd changed out of the cowl and was now wearing a loose pair of jeans and an old t-shirt.

"Hey Dick, how was it?" Wally called from the other side of the couch.

"Crazy, as usual." He sighed as he grabbed a cup of coffee and slumped onto the sofa between his friends. "How was it here?"

"There were a few problems, but we sorted them the best we could." Kaldur reported.

"Problems?" Dick groaned.

"Seems Jay was on a bit of sugar high." Wally said, switching the channel over.

"Sugar high? Who let him have sugar?" Dick asked.

"I do recall Wally sharing some candy with him." Kaldur replied. Dick turned to glare at Wally.

"Guilty as charged." Wally said, smiling.

"I'll deal with them – and you – in the morning." Dick yawned before getting up.

"Thanks guys. You're welcome to use the guest rooms. Goodnight." He said sleepily as he headed up the stairs. Wally looked over to Kaldur.

"I'm so dead in the morning."

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to get the next one up soon. Until then, review! ~velvie**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys. I wanted to do something a little different to change things up a bit, and thanks to Josie for helping me with some creative decisions. I hope you like it. ~velvie**

**Disclaimer: I don't any DC characters or settings or anything.**

"I'm not wearing this!" Jason yelled and flung a tie in Dick's direction.

"Yes you are, or you aren't coming! Dick yelled back.

"I don't want to come to your stupid dinner party, anyway!" Jason countered.

"Fine, then don't. Now that Alfred has to be away more often I don't get to have many dinner parties. I'm not going to let you ruin this one." Dick replied, shrugging. He let the tie fall to the ground and sighed deeply as he left Jason's room. Jason paused before walking over and picking the tie back up. He held it and thought for a long moment before slowly tying it neatly around his neck. He quietly opened his bedroom door and sat on the staircase, waiting for the others to get ready. Dick came over and sat beside him.

"What's up, Jay? You were never this argumentative with Bruce." Dick said quietly. Jason rested his elbows on his knees and placed his chin in his hands.

"You aren't Bruce." Jason stated, sighing.

"I know I'm not, but I'm trying to be as good to you guys as he was. Can't you help me out a little?" Dick pleaded.

"I don't like your friends, I don't like suits, I don't like dinner parties." Jason muttered.

"My friends aren't that bad, nobody likes suits, and dinner parties are fun." Dick replied, smiling softly. Jason was about to reply when Damian appeared.

"Is this acceptable, Grayson?" He muttered. Dick had told him that he couldn't wear the first shirt he put on because it wasn't clean.

"Much better, now tuck your shirt in." Dick replied cheerfully. Damian stuck his tongue out in concentration as he shoved his shirt down the waist of his trousers. Tim joined the others, tugging at his collar uncomfortably. Dick stood to help him fix his collar and tie when Stephanie left her room. All the boys turned to look at her; she wore a dark purple dress that went down to her knees, dark purple ballet shoes, and her hair was flowed down her back in gentle curls.

"Do I look okay?" Stephanie asked nervously.

"You look beautiful" Dick replied, smiling warmly at his little sister. Stephanie returned the smile and moved to stand beside Tim. "Well then, let's go wait for the guests." Dick cheered, and they all smiled and went down to the lounge to wait.

"I've never been to Dick's house before." M'gann said as she and Conner approached the front door.

"Me neither. It's huge." Conner replied, his bluntness not masking how impressed he was. He rang the doorbell twice consecutively then stepped back. The door swung open and they were greeted by Alfred.

"Good evening, Master Conner, Miss Megan. Please come in, Master Richard is in the lounge." Alfred said, gesturing for them to enter. They stepped into the manor and looked around in awe; it was stunning. They looked around as they made their way to the lounge. Dick stood when he saw them, and shook Conner's hand.

"Hey guys. How do you like the place?" He asked, grinning.

"It's beautiful." M'gann breathed.

"Just like you. You're looking sharp too, Conner." Dick replied. M'gann was dressed in a silver floor length dress, and Conner wore a suit with a matching silver tie.

"Why are you throwing a dinner party, anyway?" Conner asked.

"I haven't seen you guys all together for a while, and I like dinner parties." Dick told him with a big smile, his eyes sparkling with happiness. Conner rolled his eyes at Dick's grin. "Also, I'd like to introduce my siblings; Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne." Jason stayed sat down, slumped on the couch. Tim stood and shook Conner's hand.

"We've met briefly, but tonight will be a wonderful opportunity to get to know you both better." He spoke politely, smiling like Dick. Stephanie also stood to greet the guests. Damian nodded his head to M'gann and Conner before sitting back down on the couch. The two grabbed a drink off of the refreshments tray by the door then sat down on another couch. Soon after everyone had gotten comfortable, the doorbell rang again.

"Wally, quit playing with your bow tie!" Artemis scolded, slapping Wally's hand away from his neck.

"It's uncomfortable!" Wally complained.

"I'd have thought you of all people would be used to dressing smart, being Dick's best friend. You must have been to loads of parties at Wayne Manor." Artemis teased. Wally glared at her half heartedly.

"Doesn't mean I like bow ties." He muttered as he rang the doorbell. The door was opened by Alfred again.

"Good evening Master Wallace, Miss Artemis. Please come in." He greeted "It's wonderful to see you again, Master Wallace."

"You too, Alfie." Wally replied, smiling warmly at the older gentleman.

"Master Wallace" Artemis giggled quietly as the couple went through to the lounge to join the others.

"Hey guys" Dick said as he stood to greet them. Artemis grabbed a drink and went to sit down while Wally grabbed a handful of snacks before joining her.

"West" Damian muttered under his breath. Dick snapped his head round to give Damian a warning glare. Damian returned the glare and stood up to get a drink from the tray.

"Not for you" Dick said, grabbing Damian's shoulder and pulling him back.

"You're no fun" Damian whined as he slumped back onto the couch. Dick took a seat on a chair near to his friends.

The other guests all arrived together. Zatanna, Raquel, Roy, and Kaldur all entered the manor and joined the party. Shortly after they arrived, dinner was ready. Damian pushed through the group to make sure nobody sat in his seat. Everyone sat down and waited for Alfred to serve them.

"Delicious" Zatanna commented after a mouthful. Alfred smiled to himself after hearing the compliment.

"Yeah, Alfie's a good cook" Wally said as he wolfed down mouthfuls of potato. Artemis rolled her eyes and playfully hit him with the back of her hand. Damian smirked and loaded a pea onto a spoon. He aimed it at Tim then fired.

"Hey" Tim complained. He glared at Damian, who was laughing to himself and playing innocent. As soon as Tim had turned back to his own plate, Damian fired two more.

"Quit it!" Tim growled. Dick shot a warning glance at both of them before turning back to the conversation his friends were having. Damian stuck his tongue out and scooped up a spoonful of peas. Tim shook his head as a silent plea, but Damian smiled evilly and launched the peas.

"Stop it!" Tim yelled. Everyone turned to look at him. His face became bright red.

"Stop what?" Damian asked innocently.

"Stop firing peas at me!" Tim growled.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort" Damian replied coolly, turning his nose up at the accusation. Tim jumped out of his seat and slammed his hands on the table, leaning closer to Damian.

"Don't play innocent, you little brat! You always do this to me! You always aggravate me then act innocent, but guess what? Nobody's buying it! Everyone here knows what a sneaky, evil, little devil you are. I've had enough of your stupid, childish behaviour!" Tim ranted angrily. Everyone stared at Tim, shocked expressions on their faces. Damian smirked slightly and shrugged.

"You may think I'm a brat, but I'm Bruce's son. The real one, not a stray like you. At least I know Bruce didn't leave because of me. " Damian countered. Everyone gasped and Tim bit his lip to stop tears spilling from his eyes. He couldn't believe that Damian would say something like that. He kicked his chair out of the way and ran from the room, suddenly aware of the people's stares. Everyone turned to Dick to see what he would do.

"Damian" He sighed simply before running after Tim. He searched the lower part of the house, although he was pretty sure he wouldn't be down there. He then ran up to Tim's room. He wasn't in there either. Running out of places to look, he tried to look in Tim's bathroom. The door was locked. "Tim?" Dick called softly.

"Leave me alone" Tim sobbed. The sound of his crying was more apparent now.

"Tim, you know I'm not going to do that. Look, Damian was way out of line there. I should have stopped it before it got out of control. I'm sorry." Dick pleaded. He slumped down to sit with his back against the wall beside the door and ran an exasperated hand through his hair.

"It's not your fault. It's mine, isn't it? I got angry too quickly. I ruined your party. I'm the reason Bruce left." Tim whimpered quietly.

"None of that is true. You had every right to be angry, however I should have stopped it before you got angry in the first place. You haven't ruined my party, you're more important than any party ever. And Tim, Bruce loved you. Maybe you aren't his biological son, but neither is Jay, and neither am I. Steph isn't his daughter either, but he loves us all. He would never leave because of you. You've done nothing wrong. Nothing is your fault." Dick coaxed. Damian's words had stung him too, and he was telling Tim what he had been telling himself since the night he disappeared. The lock on the bathroom door clicked open and Tim pulled the door open slightly.

"You mean it?" Tim sniffled through the crack. Dick smiled softly.

"Would I lie to you?"

Alfred quickly gestured for the guests to go to the lounge, leaving him with Stephanie, Jason, and Damian. The tension in the room was so thick it couldn't even be cut with a knife.

"Not cool bro." Jason muttered, giving Damian a slightly ashamed look. Damian looked down, fully aware that he had gone over the top. Stephanie had her fork gripped so tightly in her fist that it had bent slightly from the warmth of her hand.

"Why would you say such a thing? Poor Tim, do you have any idea what you've done? I'm not Bruce's real kid, does that mean I'm partly to blame too? You just don't know when to quit. He was right, you are a brat." Stephanie spat furiously. Before Damian to reply, Alfred placed a hand on both of their shoulders.

"Miss Stephanie, perhaps it's best if you and Master Jason go and entertain Master Richard's guests." Alfred said calmly. Stephanie ripped her shoulder from his light grip and scowled at him before leaving the room. Jason sighed as he got up and followed.

"I was way out of line. I don't like Drake, but that was too far. I'll never be able to make it up to him." Damian said quietly, head hung in remorse.

"You could try apologising" Alfred suggested. Damian bit his lip in thought.

"He'll never accept my apology; I wouldn't." Damian whispered.

"Even if he doesn't accept it straight away, it never hurts to say it." Alfred told the boy. Damian stood and he and Alfred went to find Tim.

"Master Timothy, there's somebody here who wants to offer an apology." Alfred said as he stood outside the bathroom door. Tim wiped his face and opened the door. He glared angrily at Damian.

"Listen Drake – I mean Tim – I was wrong, and I'm sorry. I was out of line with what I said, and I don't think any of it's true. Father didn't leave because of you, he loved you. And I am a brat. I shouldn't have provoked you and I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm sorry." Damian spoke quietly and honestly. Tim couldn't hold his gaze. He looked away and thought about what Damian had just said.

"I guess I forgive you. It still hurts, but I forgive you." Tim said. He pulled Damian into a hug, expecting him to fight back. Instead, Damian wrapped his arms around Tim and returned the hug. While they were hugging, Dick stood up and spoke quietly with Alfred.

"Thanks, Alfred. I couldn't have handled this without you." He told him.

"But you did."

**A/N: I hope you liked it. I'm aiming to get the next chapter up soon, which will be back to babysitting. Until then, review! ~velvie**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys. This chapter is back to the usual. I hope you enjoy it! ~velvie**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"Sorry I'm late" Raquel called apologetically as she ran up to the doorstep of the manor. M'gann was just about to ring the doorbell, knowing Raquel would arrive eventually.

"You're not late, so it's fine" M'gann replied cheerily. She waited for Raquel to catch her breath then rang the doorbell. The door was instantly opened by Tim and he silently ushered them in. The girls gave each other confused looks as they entered the house, wondering why everything was so quiet.

"What's going-" Raquel began, but Tim held his finger to his lips to silence her. Just at that moment, a large thud came from upstairs.

"I'm fine! Now let me go!" a voice screamed. They identified the voice as Jason's and the girls shared a look of shock.

"Jason, you aren't fine and you aren't going anywhere! Now get back to bed!" Dick's voice responded, not quite screaming but close.

"Why not? I said I'm fine." Jason yelled, followed by another thud. Tim quickly gestured for the girls to enter the living room. He then closed to the door to block out the rest of the conversation.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that. Let me give you a quick explanation. Jason has the flu but insists he is well enough to go out on patrol tonight like he was promised. This has been going on for just over an hour now." Tim informed them. The girls nodded their heads in comprehension, the shocked expressions fading.

"I understand. So where's everyone else?" M'gann asked.

"Steph is downstairs somewhere doing homework and I don't really care where Damian is as long as he's not in my room or in my way." Tim shrugged. He listened at the door to check if the argument was still going. "I think they're done." He said as he drew away. Just as he moved away from the door Dick flung it open.

"Hey guys. Sorry if you heard any of that. Family issues." Dick sighed. "Thanks for doing this. Please don't let Jason leave the house, preferably not even his room. He probably won't now that he's settled and almost accepted my apology and offer but you never know with him. I don't know where Damian is but he's grounded so no TV or video games for him. Is that okay?"

"Sure, we'll do our best." M'gann said cheerily, trying to make Dick less stressed. Dick flashed his friends a quick smile before dashing off to the batcave. Raquel turned to Tim.

"So what are we actually supposed to do here?" she asked.

"Whatever you want; watch TV, eat food, it's probably even quiet enough to sleep tonight. You just have to sit around and be here in case something goes wrong, which it inevitably will." Tim said. He grabbed the door handle and pulled the door open. "I'm just gonna find Steph and maybe Damian. Back at some point." He left the room, leaving the girls lost as to what to do.

"Guess we'll watch TV" Raquel sighed, grabbing the remote. She flicked through the channels, trying to find something worth watching. She'd finally found a good movie when something came crashing down the stairs. "What was that?"

"Let's go find out" M'gann said quietly, getting up off the couch. Raquel stood and followed her as she opened the door. Jason was pushing himself up off the ground, rubbing his head. "Are you okay Jason?" M'gann cried.

"I'm fine." He growled. He brushed past the girls and through to the living room.

"Where are you going?" Raquel asked. Jason turned to her and rolled his eyes.

"To the kitchen for a drink. I'm thirsty, is that a crime?" he asked sarcastically. He continued walking but stopped when she spoke again.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you." She said firmly.

"Why? I'm not a child."

"I'm thirsty, is that a crime?" she repeated his words, smirking. Jason growled and continued on to the kitchen, Raquel in tow. M'gann was just about to return to the living room when Tim raced towards her.

"M'gann, I need your help" he said urgently.

"What is it?" M'gann asked, getting worried.

"I can't find Damian."

"What do you want?" Jason asked, much calmer now.

"Just some water, please." Raquel responded. "So I hear you're unwell?" She asked cautiously.

"Apparently. I say I'm fine, Dick says I'm not. I tried to convince him otherwise, but no. He's got to be right. I gave up because if I kept fighting he'd never let me go out on patrol with him. Going with him isn't too appealing, but I want to go." Jason rambled as he got the drinks. "Here." He said as he held out the glass of water.

"Thanks" Raquel said gratefully as she took the glass.

"Can I stay and watch TV?" Jason asked, shrugging as if it didn't matter either way.

"Sure, it's your house." Raquel told him as they walked back to the living room. They both sat down and flicked through the channels for something else to watch.

"Have you found him yet?" Tim asked as he and M'gann met up with Stephanie in the lounge. She shook her head.

"I've looked everywhere. No sign of him." She sighed.

"Well he can't have gone far." Tim thought of all the places Damian was likely to be. "Checked his room?"

"No sign of him in there" Stephanie reported.

"How about the bathroom?" He suggested.

"Not there either."

"Kitchen?"

"Nope." Tim tried to think of another place he could be.

"Hey did you check the-" he was cut off by a scream.

"Batcave!" Stephanie yelled. She immediately began racing towards the sitting room which hid the entrance.

"Can you go find the first aid kit in the kitchen? We'll bring him to you." Tim told M'gann before running after Stephanie.

"Damian what are you doing down here?!" Stephanie shrieked when she saw him. He was hanging upside down by one ankle, which was attached to a rope. The ground below was littered with batarangs.

"Oh, you know, just hanging out" he spat sarcastically. Stephanie glared at him before heading over to help him down. She started picking up the batarangs while waiting for Tim.

"Okay Tim, if you stand there, I'll cut the rope and you can catch him." She instructed as he approached. He got in position then nodded to her to cut the rope. Damian landed safely in Tim's arms, wincing in pain as his ankle moved. Tim carried him up the stairs and into the kitchen where M'gann was waiting with a first aid kit.

"What happened?" M'gann asked as Tim set Damian down on a chair.

"Boy Blunder here got himself caught up in a rope" Stephanie teased. Damian scowled at her, but couldn't focus for long. As soon as M'gann touched his ankle to bandage it, he screamed.

"Hush Damian" M'gann soothed "It's gonna hurt when I touch it, but it will feel a lot better afterwards if you let me." Damian screwed up his face in preparation for the pain. M'gann slowly went to wrap the bandage around his ankle. "There, does that help?" She asked when she was done.

"Yeah, I guess it does. Thanks." He said quietly. He tried to stand on it, but had to fight back tears and sit down again.

"Come on, bro, let's get you up to bed. It's past your bed time, anyway." Tim said softly, glancing at the clock. Just as Tim was about to pick Damian up, Jason burst in to the room.

"What's going on?" He asked sleepily. He had fallen asleep watching TV but was woken by Damian's screams.

"Damian got hurt and he's being a big baby about it" Stephanie teased him again. Damian clenched a fist in warning, which Stephanie responded to by smirking.

"Hey Jay, are you going to bed?" Tim asked innocently.

"Yeah, why?" Jason asked. Tim smiled.

"Great. You can take Damian." Before Jason could object, Tim and Steph ran off up the stairs. Jason groaned , but took Damian and went up the stairs after the others. Raquel joined M'gann in the kitchen.

"Tim was right, something inevitably did go wrong." M'gann sighed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop Damian from getting hurt. I didn't know he was in the batcave. I should have kept a closer eye on him." M'gann apologised to Dick. He shook his head dismissively.

"It's not your fault. He knows he shouldn't be down there." Dick yawned.

"Tired?" Raquel asked, one eyebrow raised knowingly.

"Little bit. Busy night." Dick replied. His reply was followed by a chain of sneezes.

"Are you alright?" M'gann fretted.

"I'll be fine. I'll sleep it off. You didn't have to wait up for me." Dick looked at the clock, which read 4:30am.

"We did get some sleep, but we thought we should at least be awake to make sure you got home safely and to explain what happened." M'gann explained. Dick smiled fondly at his friends.

"Now, young man, off to bed with you." Raquel joked. Dick rubbed his eyes and yawned again.

"Sounds good." He gestured up the stairs, letting his friends go first. He found it hard to climb the stairs, coughing often on the way up.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Raquel asked him as he got to the top of the stairs.

"I'm sure." He said, stifling a cough. "Goodnight."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one should be up soon. Until then, review! ~velvie**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long. I've been busy with school and whatnot. I hope you enjoy! ~Velvie**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or settings used.**

"I don't know how to babysit" Conner admitted as he and Roy stepped up to the door.

"You'll do fine, you don't have to do much with these guys. There will most likely be trouble; they're bats. But it won't be anything we can't handle." Roy assured him as he rang the doorbell. They stood at the door and waited patiently for a few minutes, but when nobody answered, Roy pressed the doorbell a few more times. The door slowly opened, and Tim greeted them.

"Hey, come in. Why don't you go through to the lounge, Dick will be through soon to say hi." He moved aside to allow Roy and Conner to enter.

"Where is he now?" Roy asked.

"He's in the living room. He is with Steph and Jason trying to settle an issue." Tim sighed. A door slammed a few rooms away and was followed by an exasperated scream.

"What kind of issue?" Conner asked dubiously. Another door slam was heard before Tim could answer.

"He told me not to tell you because he didn't want to get you caught up in it." Tim lied slightly. He couldn't tell them the truth about why Dick didn't want them to know.

"He knows he can trust us." Roy argued. Tim shrugged his shoulders and tried to think of a realistic reply.

"He said he would have it sorted and that you'll have a nicer evening if you just leave it to him." He spoke quickly, trying to sound convincing.

"That doesn't sound like Dick" Conner said suspiciously.

"Because he never said that. I can read you like a book, Tim. What's going on?" Roy demanded. Tim didn't know what to say, but he knew Dick needed him to stall a little longer.

"Look, it's a family issue. He promised he'll have it sorted and that it won't affect your evening. Can we just leave it at that?" Tim panicked. Roy started towards the door and nodded for Conner to follow.

"If you aren't going to tell us, we're just going to have to find out ourselves." They made their way out to the hall, Tim following quickly behind them.

"Please don't! Dick asked me to keep you away while he sorted this! He doesn't want any trouble!" Tim pleaded. Conner just shook his head and opened the living room door slightly. Nobody in the room noticed. There they saw Stephanie hanging upside down on the couch, Jason pouting in the corner, and Dick curled on the sofa, face pressed into the arm rest.

"Jason, you're so selfish!" Stephanie yelled.

"I'm not being selfish here at all! He wants to go, right Dick?" Jason said, to which Dick replied with a grunt. "See?"

"That's not a valid reply! He needs to stay home and rest. It's your fault anyway, you gave it to him!" She replied angrily.

"Hey, don't go blaming me!" Jason raised his voice. Dick groaned and raised his head.

"Can you guys stop already? Steph, it's nice that you're trying to help me, but I do need to go. Villains don't take nights off, and I did promise Jason." Dick said, his voice hoarse. Conner gently closed the door. The pair turned to Tim.

"Care to explain what's going on?" Conner asked, arms crossed over his chest. Tim sighed and beckoned for them to go back into the lounge, just in case Dick overheard them.

"Jason was sick the other day and he was all angry because Dick promised to take him out on patrol with him. Now Dick is sick but he still wants to go out on patrol and Jason is trying to convince him it's the right thing to do for his own benefit. Steph, however, is trying to make Dick see sense and realise he's in no condition to go out tonight." Tim explained.

"That idiot. There's no way I'm letting him go anywhere, villains or no villains." Roy growled.

"Why were you covering for him?" Conner asked.

"Because he didn't want you guys to try and stop him if he decided to go. I don't want him to go either, but I figure he's Batman so he must have some common sense." Tim confessed. Roy was reaching for the door again, this time to confront Dick. He grabbed the handle, but let go quickly when the door moved from the other side.

"Hey guys. Sorry I left you so long; family problems." Dick apologised, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Save it, Dick. They know." Tim sighed, hanging his head.

"You tried, buddy." Dick replied, smiling gratefully at Tim. He turned to his friends. "My mind's made up guys. I have to go. Villains don't stop being villains." He shrugged.

"You're not going anywhere." Roy told him firmly.

"I'm fine. Gotham needs me." Dick said. He coughed several times after, which confirmed to Conner and Roy that he wasn't fine.

"You look sick, you sound sick, you are sick. Villains may not take a night off, but Batman is going to. No excuses." Roy stood his ground. He had always been like an older brother to Dick, and he was confident he could win this argument.

"I promised Jay I'd take him out tonight, and I've already had to back out once. I can't do that to him again, that's not fair." Dick protested.

"Listen Dick, if you stay here tonight, you'll probably feel better tomorrow. If you go out tonight, you'll make yourself worse, and then you'll have to stay home even longer." Roy reasoned. Dick sighed and looked down, defeated.

"Fine, but what about Gotham? I can't just leave them defenceless." Dick fretted.

"We'll find someone to take over for the night." Roy assured him.

"It can't just be anyone. It has to be someone without super powers. Super powers attract the crazies." Dick instructed. "Call Artemis, and tell her to take Jason out with her." He handed Roy the phone before leaving the room.

"Don't you have another brother?" Conner asked, turning to Tim.

"Damian, yeah. He won't be a bother tonight, he twisted his ankle. He's barely left his room all day." Tim replied, shrugging.

"Hey Dick" Artemis said as she picked up the phone.

"Not Dick, it's Roy. Listen, I need a favour. Dick's sick and the only way I can get him to stay home tonight is if you go out on patrol in Gotham." Roy spoke quickly, trying to get her to agree before Dick changed his mind.

"Sure, no problem." Artemis replied.

"There's one more thing; you have to take Jason." Roy sighed.

"No way, I'm not going anywhere with him. I work alone." Artemis protested. She hadn't gotten on well with Jason during their first meeting, and figured he'd be completely unbearable when he was out on patrol.

"Oh come on, Artemis. Just once? For Dick? He's really sick, and it's only one night." Roy pleaded.

"Ugh, fine. But you both owe me." She sighed before hanging up. Roy let out a low growl before throwing the phone down and running off to find Dick.

"Artemis said she'd cover you, which means you've got the night off." Roy announced as he entered Dick's room.

"Did she agree to take Jason?" Dick asked.

"Yup, she agreed and she's on her way over to get him." Roy replied.

"Really? Are you sure I'm the one that's sick?" Dick joked. Roy smiled fondly, thankful that the cowl hadn't changed him.

"Funny, now you rest up. Conner and I will take care of things." Roy told him before leaving the room. Dick fell asleep almost instantly.

"I wonder how Dick's doing" Stephanie commented, absent-mindedly stuff popcorn into her mouth. They had all sat down for the evening to watch a movie, although they weren't really paying attention.

"We should probably check on him" Tim suggested. He turned away to grab his drink from the coffee table.

"Later" Stephanie replied. She threw a piece of popcorn at Tim, who quickly turned and caught it in his mouth. Stephanie applauded him and he took a bow. Conner and Roy raised their eyebrows to each other and rolled their eyes.

"I'll go check on Dick" Roy said decisively. He stood up and made his way to the door, turning back to see Stephanie and Tim playing their game again. He smiled as he closed the door behind him and ran quietly up the stairs. He knocked softly on Dick's door. "Dick? Are you okay?" he said gently. There was no answer. Carefully, he pushed the door open to check on his friend. Dick was lying on top of the bed, wearing loose jeans and a vest. Roy was about to close the door when he heard Dick mumbling.

"Promit mămica, voi fi întotdeauna mica ta prihor" Dick murmured dreamily. Roy's face scrunched in confusion; what language was that? Shaking his head, he closed the door and returned to the living room. The room was littered with pieces of popcorn.

"How is he?" Stephanie asked.

"He's fine. Asleep. He was talking in some weird language." Roy reported. "Do you know what language it could have been?" he asked, addressing Dick's siblings.

"Romanian" Tim stated. Roy and Conner were both confused.

"Why would he be speaking Romanian?" Conner asked.

"Because he is Romanian" Stephanie replied. Conner and Roy were no less confused. How did they not know this?

"Why didn't I know this?" Roy demanded. He felt guilty for not knowing such a big thing about his close friend.

"Dunno. Did you ever ask him?" Tim suggested. Roy shook his head.

"Nope, never came up." He admitted.

"Well there we go then." Tim replied. Roy sat back in the couch and thought about this new information.

"I wonder what he said."

"Joker" Jason hissed. Artemis spun round to look over at where the Joker had been spotted.

"I see him. Do you make a plan before you go fight or are you just like your brother?" Artemis said, looking up to where Jason had once been. He'd left already. "Just like your brother. Got it." She sighed, then started after Jason. She finally caught up to him just as they approached the Joker.

"Hello, Hood. Who's the blonde?" The Joker asked coolly, smiling.

"Your worst nightmare" Artemis breathed darkly. Jason mentally gave her props for the comeback.

"Oh, I don't think so. You look more like a pretty little dream. I am the stuff nightmares are made of. Tell me blondie, have you ever had a nightmare?" The Joker asked, his mischievous smirk intensifying as he reached into his pockets.

"Never" she growled, getting ready to fight.

"Let's see if we can change that." Laughing menacingly, he whipped his hands out of his pockets, scattering pellets of his new nightmare gas all over the floor. Before Jason and Artemis could flee, the smoky gas engulfed them, and they quickly hit the floor. "Sweet dreams."

Artemis and Jason were squirming uncomfortably on metal tables, experiencing their worst nightmares. For Artemis, it was seeing everyone turn on her when they found out who she really was. The team gave her the cold shoulder, Green Arrow stopped letting her be his protégé, and the league shunned her. They completely turned on her because of her past and her family, and this was what she had always been afraid of. For Jason, it was watching Bruce die. He had lost one father in his life; he didn't want to lose another. Bruce being missing in reality was hard enough for him, but watching him die was too much, even in a dream.

"Oh dear, is someone having a bad dream? It's okay, it'll all be over soon." The Joker said in his usual sarcastic tone, punctuating the sentence with laughter. He grabbed a syringe filled with a stronger dose of 'liquid nightmare'. Slowly, he approached the table where Artemis was sleeping. He laughed menacingly as he grabbed her arm and pressed the syringe to it. "You may feel a small scratch." He said mockingly.

"You'll be feeling a big one." The voice echoed across the room. The Joker turned, but all he could see was darkness. Suddenly, a batarang glided towards the Joker, knocking the syringe out of his hand and across the floor, liquid nightmare dripping off the end.

"Shhh! They're sleeping." The Joker whispered. He ducked as another batarang flew over his head, hitting the wall with an echoing thud.

"Oops." Batman said sarcastically. The Joker frowned.

"I guess if you don't want to be quiet, I'll have to make you." He calmly reached into his pocket and threw half a dozen pellets onto the floor. "Even bats need to sleep."

"Bats are nocturnal." Batman's gravelly voice echoed around the room, surprising The Joker. He frowned again, trying to think of his next move. He had bigger plans, and didn't want to risk being sent back to Arkham.

"Alright Batsy, if you won't sleep, allow me to entertain you. Being a Joker, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Like this one; A puff of smoke, and I magically disappear!" He yelled dramatically as he threw a gas pellet down. When the gas had cleared, The Joker had vanished. Dick didn't have time to dwell on his failure to capture The Joker; he had to wake his friends. He started with Artemis. First, he simply tried waking her using normal methods such as shaking and yelling. When they didn't work, he looked around; he couldn't see anything that looked remotely like an antidote. An antidote. It suddenly became clear. Some of The Joker's gases and poisons could be cured with the same antidote; it was one of his biggest design flaws. Dick reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small vile of antidote, and then poured it slowly into Artemis' mouth. She spluttered and moaned groggily, slowly moving her hand up to rub her eyes. Once Dick was sure she was really awake, he repeated the process with Jason. He gave them a chance to recover, and then suggested they all headed home.

"Roy's gonna kill you." Artemis commented.

"Maybe, if he ever finds out." Dick replied, smirking to himself. He shot a pre-emptive warning glance at Jason, who raised his hands in mock surrender to signal that he would say nothing.

"Hey Dick, feeling better?" Roy called as Dick entered the kitchen the following morning.

"Yeah, much better thanks." Dick lied cheerfully. He still felt terrible. "Quiet night?"

"Yeah. Everything was fine and calm, which actually surprised me." Conner reported, chuckling slightly. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept just fine. It was great to get a good night's sleep." Another lie. Dick poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down with his friends. Roy frowned slightly as he tried to process the information he'd learnt last night about his close friend.

"So Dick, a little birdie told me you're actually Romanian. How come I didn't know this before?" Roy asked, laughing in his head at the 'little birdie' part.

"Dunno, guess it never came up." Dick shrugged, sipping his coffee. Before Roy could ask a follow up question, Artemis shuffled sleepily into the room, rubbing her face.

"Hey Artemis. How'd it go last night?" Dick asked, raising his eyebrows knowingly.

"It was fine. Hey, Dick, where do you keep the painkillers? Getting this little sleep has given me a headache." Artemis replied groggily. Dick got up and found her some painkillers while she sat down and poured a cup of coffee.

"Thanks for babysitting, guys." Dick said as he handed her the painkillers and took his seat.

"It was no trouble at all, I'm quite fond of your siblings… when they're quiet, anyway." Roy replied, snorting slightly at the end.

"Yeah, I had fun." Conner shrugged, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Artemis, thanks for going out in my place and putting up with Jason for a night. I owe you one." Dick turned to Artemis and smiled.

"Let's just say we're even."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any ideas for more chapters, let me know! Review! ~Velvie**


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